“I–I fear I cannot,” Lady Olivia answered slowly, turning back around to face him, questions in her eyes. “Besides, Lord Monteforte, I am sure there are other young ladies that you might see out. A great many.”
He shook his head, having never once had any particular interest in any young lady of note. “That matters not, Lady Olivia,” he told her, wanting to continue speaking to her with honesty and truthfulness. “There may be those who seek my company, but I promise you that I do not seek theirs.”
“Then you make some young ladies very unhappy,” she said, as though that meant more than his own original question to court her. “I could not allow such a thing to occur.”
He flushed then, dropping his head and realizing that she was making an excuse simply to refuse him. There was nothing more for him to say, nothing to add so that he might convince her to do as he hoped. Where such a hope had come from and why it had flared up within him with such force, he could not say, but it was all the more embarrassing now that she was clearly rejecting his offer.
“I cannot,” Lady Olivia said, a trifle more firmly as though she wanted to impart something of importance to him. “Although I am very honored by such a request, Lord Monteforte.”
Looking down at her, Phillip was struck by the sudden darkness in her eyes, the flattening of her mouth. What was it she was trying to tell him? Was there another reason for her refusal, or was she merely trying to find any excuse she could to keep herself free from him?
“Lord Monteforte!”
The chance to say more was taken from him by the sudden appearance of Lady Margaret, who practically bounded towards him the very moment she laid eyes on him. He greeted her as warmly as he could, all too aware of how Lady Olivia seemed to melt back into the shadows and seemed to shrink back away from her cousin. He wanted to tell her to stay; he wanted to tell her that he wanted to hear her speak and that she could converse with both himself and Lady Margaret, only for him to suddenly realize precisely what Lady Olivia had meant.
Lady Margaret stood in her way. She could not accept his offer to take a carriage ride without injuring her cousin’s feelings. It did not matter that Phillip himself had no interest in the lady at all, Lady Olivia would be bound by family loyalty.
Irritation swept over him. Thus far, he had done everything Lord Dayton had asked of him, but there was very little he had discovered. He had not managed to find any connection to the French, and all they had discussed was the Prince Regent’s antics and their concern for the monarchy. Cards had been played and the conversation had turned to mere gossip, which Phillip was not at all interested in. And now here was yet another situation where he could not get a firm hold on things. Lady Olivia was tied by family, whilst Lady Margaret was pushing herself forward without ever once thinking that he might not be at all interested in pursuing her.
“A carriage ride in Hyde Park,” he said loudly, before Lady Olivia could disappear. “What say you to that, Lady Margaret? Lady Olivia and Lady Louisa must join us also, of course!”
Lady Margaret’s face lit up. “I would be delighted!” she exclaimed, evidently ignoring the fact that he had included her sister and cousin in the invitation also. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” he agreed, holding Lady Olivia’s gaze and seeing the way her lips twitched, her eyes no longer holding the same dark greyness as before. “Lady Olivia?”
She did not hesitate. “But of course,” she answered smoothly. “I shall inform Lady Louisa also, and I am certain she would be more than content to join us.”
Phillip ignored the disappointed look on Lady Margaret’s face and beamed his approval. “Very good,” he answered, just as the bell sounded for the second half of the play. “I look forward to your company.” He did not direct this at either Lady Olivia nor Lady Margaret, seeing how Lady Margaret smiled, blushed, and moved away whilst Lady Olivia merely held his gaze for a moment or two before excusing herself. Smiling to himself, Phillip walked back towards his own box, sitting down quickly and feeling such a great sense of contentment that it did not leave him for the rest of the evening.
“I am surprised that you wish to speak to me, Lord Monteforte, when my cousins have much more to say than I.”
Phillip let his lips quirk as he looked down at Lady Olivia, most of her profile hidden by her bonnet as she kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead of them. Lady Margaret and Lady Louisa had spoken without any reservation or hesitation during their ride to Hyde Park, to the point that Phillip had found himself quite weary from their constant chatter. His plan to take them to Hyde Park in the hope that Lady Margaret, at the very least, might find some other acquaintances to speak to had gone very well indeed, however, for as himself and Lady Olivia stood quietly under a large tree, Lady Margaret and Lady Louisa were standing only a few steps away, talking eagerly with a group of young ladies, whose chaperones were nearby.
“You do yourself a disservice, Lady Olivia,” he told her, making her glance up at him. “I thank you for joining us today.” Serious now, he looked down into her face. “You refused me simply because of Lady Margaret, I think.”
Lady Olivia hesitated, then sighed and nodded. “Lord Monteforte, please do not think that I am not flattered by your offer, but I had already decided that nothing but a light acquaintance should exist between us.”
“Because of my lack of propriety and gentlemanlike qualities, which were so displayed to you the first time we met,” he said, seeing how her cheeks caught with heat. “That is a part of your reasoning, I think.”
A small sigh escaped her, but she looked back at him with a clear gaze. “You are correct, Lord Monteforte,” she told him firmly. “And I am not yet convinced that such qualities are not simply very well hidden.”
Something stung him hard, and he straightened up a little more. “You believe I might still be a cruel man,” he said, feeling quite insulted but trying to tell himself that there was reason in her suggestion. “That I might still be that fellow that treated you so ill.”
Lady Olivia nodded, her mouth a little tight. “I may very well be incorrect in such a statement,” she said quietly. “But I am not the sort of person to believe an apology simply because it is given.”
Phillip frowned, seeing how her gaze turned back to Lady Margaret and feeling himself grow suddenly tense. “You do not have a happy life with your aunt and uncle, I think,” he said, letting his skills as a gentleman of the League begin to shine out. “They do not treat you kindly, and whilst an apology has been made at times, they never hold true.” A smile touched his lips as Lady Olivia’s head twisted sharply around so that she stared up at him, a paleness about her cheeks now. “You have every right to be so mistrustful, Lady Olivia, especially since you know me very little, but I assure you that when I make an apology, I make it with nothing other than sincerity.”
“How do you know that?”
Lady Olivia’s voice was low, almost hissing at him as he looked back at her.
“How do you know I have a difficult time with my uncle and aunt?” she asked, narrowing her eyes just a little. “I have never spoken of it to anyone.”
“And yet, I am able to ascertain such a thing,” he said gently, trying to remove some of the fear from her eyes. “There is nothing to be ashamed of nor afraid of, Lady Olivia.”
She shook her head wordlessly, looking away from him, looking towards her cousins as though she were afraid they might have overheard him. Phillip said nothing further, watching her carefully but choosing to remain silent. Perhaps he had said too much. Perhaps he had frightened her without once having meant there to have been such an intention.
“My uncle and aunt treat me as well as they can for someone who is not their own kin,” Lady Olivia said quietly, not looking up at him. “I will not pretend that I have an easy life, but I am, I know, blessed to have a family willing to take me in as their own.”